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Zoey Deutch's skydiving 'date' with James Franco vetoed

Written by . Published: December 14 2016

Actress Zoey Deutch had her big plans for a skydiving bonding session with her Why Him? co-star James Franco vetoed by movie bosses over safety fears.


The Vampire Academy star wanted to build up her onscreen chemistry with Franco as they prepared to play lovers in the raucous comedy, but her hopes of treating him to an adrenaline-filled outing were quickly shot down by studio executives.


"It was funny because, when I got Why Him?, you know, James Franco and I's characters (sic) are madly in love in the movie, and I wanted to try and plan like, a fake date to build some chemistry," she explained on breakfast show Today.


"So I was like, 'I'm gonna plan something crazy!' His schedule is so intense, and I planned skydiving. I thought it was (a good idea), until the studio found out and they did not (think it was a good idea) and the insurance company didn't think it was so great, so I got my fake-date-planning privileges revoked after that!"


The actress reveals they ended up just exploring a museum for their "fake date".


"We went to a museum, the least life-threatening thing possible," she laughed. "They (studio officials) were like, 'Zoey, we do not trust you any more!'"


Franco portrays a vulgar and rich celebrity who wants to wed Deutch's character in Why Him?, much to the dismay of her father, played by Bryan Cranston, who struggles to understand what his daughter sees in the star.


The Breaking Bad star recently told Britain's Esquire magazine it wasn't too hard for him to get into character, as he and wife Robin Dearden had suffered similar fears when their only child, Taylor, 23, first started dating.


"It's a story that is not unfamiliar to me," he shared of his latest film. "I have a daughter the same age and it's what every father fears. You raise them from a baby: changing their diapers, taking them for their first bike ride... You go through all those things and at the end you have to let her go, and you hope she settles with someone suitable.


"And there's every chance you won't approve of her choices...," he continued, joking, "I mean: would you want your daughter settling down with James Franco?"

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